Shermageddon bridge debacle

[Ridgeway]

I know we have a few Lou/Jeff locals here. Anyone else think this is getting ridiculous?

Now they have announced the "extremely dangerous" crack that caused closing a major bridge and seriously inconveniencing tens if not hundreds of thousands of individuals has been there since 1962!


Great, so we've been dealing with insane traffic for 2 weeks for no reason. (While I'm at it, who thought it would be a good idea to close 2 lanes on I-71 during this, while the ramp from 64 to 65 is still closed? Like it couldn't have waited until the bridge was open again?)

Moreover, the crack has already been repaired!


Ok, great, now logic would say let's have the bridge open for rush hour, right? No, let's keep checking it...seriously?


I understand safety, and they should check it, but just shut down one lane each way as they were doing before & open up the other 4 lanes.


There needs to be a serious review b/c someone really screwed up. I understand Gov. Daniels decision as he could only go with what he was told. But the bridge should never have been closed to start with from what it now appears (someone correct me if I'm wrong, but the other cracks allegedly are not severe enough to merit shutting the bridge down).


IMO it seems they are not going to immediately open the bridge up, b/c they have to justify having shut it down for 2 weeks causing serious damage to the southern Indiana economy (I shudder to think what it has done to my house value, which I'm sure I couldn't sell today if I tried). No one is going to admit they made a mistake...

 

[hornadylnl]

What does a bridge closure have to do with the value of your house?

Sounds as bad as shutting down 52 on the south side of Lafayette and then shutting down the primary detour road to 1 lane.

 

[GREEN607]

It's been my opinion, for a long time now, that whomever the individuals are who make the decisions on Indiana's major road repairs (and re-designing)...... don't have a clue, as to how it should be handled.

That goes for Marion Co & Indianapolis, too!

They should take lessons from states like Alabama & Arkansas......

I've seen situations like the repairs that have been going on forever, here on west 38th St....... where they close everything down to one lane, and then make that lane so narrow, that tractor-trailers are side-swiping the barricade barrels.... and send them careening into the vehicle behind them.

 

[Ridgeway]

What does a bridge closure have to do with the value of your house?

Well, it's a disincentive to move to the Indiana side of the river. A large number of Indiana residents work in Kentucky. So they/we commute each day. The closed bridge handles approx. 80k cars/day. Those 80k cars are now on the two remaining bridges (one lone other interstate bridge was handling 120k cars/day, so do the math on the increase in traffic volume) which has caused virtual gridlock @ times (btw before the bridge was shut down we already needed @ least one more bridge, the lone other interstate bridge already had bumper to bumper traffic @ rush hour).

Commute time for some has gone from 20 minutes to 1-2 hours every morning & evening.
My commute yesterday was double what it normally takes me.


This isn't LA or NYC so people don't expect extreme traffic, where you are crawling in 1st or 2nd gear for miles upon miles or sitting downtown in never ending traffic (yesterday I was averaging ~10-20 minutes per block, let alone even 1 mph).


It suffices to say it's extremely difficult to cross the river atm.


Thus, there are less people interested in moving to southern Indiana which equals less demand which negatively impacts both house value as well as how quickly homes sell.

 

[littletommy]

I said two weeks ago they should just put a drive at your own risk sign on it and let people use it. This is the inept government in action, and we might as well get used to it. If there is a problem, hell yeah, fix it, but all of these photo ops and press conferences are pissing me off! Just fix the damn thing you morons! I don't use that bridge, or any of em, but it does effect my drive home from work in the afternoons. I'm sick of it and I really feel sorry for those that have to cross the river everyday.

 

[ZombieApocolypse]

INow they have announced the "extremely dangerous" crack that caused closing a major bridge and seriously inconveniencing tens if not hundreds of thousands of individuals has been there since 1962!

Wo there . .. So you're saying they have documented and kept track of this crack for 50 years, and are just now getting to fix it?

 

[Ridgeway]

I said two weeks ago they should just put a drive at your own risk sign on it and let people use it. This is the inept government in action, and we might as well get used to it. If there is a problem, hell yeah, fix it, but all of these photo ops and press conferences are pissing me off! Just fix the damn thing you morons! I don't use that bridge, or any of em, but it does effect my drive home from work in the afternoons. I'm sick of it and I really feel sorry for those that have to cross the river everyday.

I agree. It's worst for New Albany residents, but it negatively impacts all southern Indiana residents as well as any Kentucky resident who works downtown.



I understand the liability issue for Norfolk Southern, but I'd say the same could be done for the K&I RR Bridge. Charge a toll & have everyone assume their own risk/liability in choosing to drive across. (or let's just finish the Big Four bridge & allow motorcycles, mopeds, etc. on it)






Regardless, the facts as I presently understand them are that the crack was never a hazard, but nevertheless has been repaired & no other significant safety issues presently exist. The bridge should be open on Monday.
I just think they don't want to admit screwing up so significantly. Who is going to want to move to New Albany or Jeff if @ any time a bridge could be closed (what if the Kennedy closed?). It's going to be very difficult to sell a house I'd say. As well as the impact upon businesses in the area.

Either way I just hope they open it soon. Fortunately most people seem to have been pretty courteous & there have been a minimal of accidents.

 

[Ridgeway]

Wo there . .. So you're saying they have documented and kept track of this crack for 50 years, and are just now getting to fix it?

Gov. Beshear gave a press conference yesterday wherein he stated the crack has been repaired & appears to have occurred when the bridge was first built in 1962, but was not able to be discovered b/c it was behind a welded on plate that was removed a few weeks ago. (I have no idea how the engineers were able to deduce when it was formed).



Here's a link to the news story:
http://www.wave3.com/story/15538577...erman-minton-bridge-but-it-will-remain-closed

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

USDOT and INDOT can't win...

They really are damned if they do and damned if they don't.

Folks will complain about lack of a bridge... Then they'll complain about the cost/taxes associated with a new bridge AND complain about how long it's taking.

yes. Detours and traffic problems suck. They can suck big time.

I'd say it's a good thing that "the greatest generation", and shortly thereafter, didn't act as the majority of Americans act today. We'd still not have an interstate system...



-J-

 

[Ridgeway]

USDOT and INDOT can't win...

They really are damned if they do and damned if they don't.

Folks will complain about lack of a bridge... Then they'll complain about the cost/taxes associated with a new bridge AND complain about how long it's taking.

I'd say it's a good thing that "the greatest generation", and shortly thereafter, didn't act as the majority of Americans act today. We'd still not have an interstate system...

-J-

True enough.

But as much as I am averse to higher taxes & the absurd things a great deal of tax money is spent on, I wouldn't mind my $ going to a bridge. Though I can understand why Lou residents wouldn't want to pay for it, as they don't use the bridges as often.

However, we have the money for it, it's just not a priority (or else the east end bridge would have been built 40 years ago). Lou found the money to build the hugely expensive Yum! Center...

 

[dice dealer]

I'd say it's a good thing that "the greatest generation", and shortly thereafter, didn't act as the majority of Americans act today. We'd still not have an interstate system...

-J-

True But look at all the money they could have Blown Doing studies on an interstate system ......Like we do now ......lol

 

[MrSmitty]

If you look at a map of the area around Louisville, you can see they need TWO bridges! 1 in the east, and 1 in the west, complete the loop around Louisville....duh...now give me a million dollars, I solved the problem!

 

[doubleshock]

Howdy from SoIN! If y'all have followed the story on the KYIN TV stations you will notice that almost 100% of the footage has shown the various KY politicos ( US reps, Lville mayor, KY US senators, KY governor, etc) checking out the shermmit and then making their comments on the sit. the KY governor especially has been on repeatedly ( oh crap! he's in a hot race to be reelected!) Lots of hot air is being blown up all our inconveinced asses and nothing is getting done to solve the problem. What a bunch of dicks!

 

[littletommy]

Howdy from SoIN! If y'all have followed the story on the KYIN TV stations you will notice that almost 100% of the footage has shown the various KY politicos ( US reps, Lville mayor, KY US senators, KY governor, etc) checking out the shermmit and then making their comments on the sit. the KY governor especially has been on repeatedly ( oh crap! he's in a hot race to be reelected!) Lots of hot air is being blown up all our inconveinced asses and nothing is getting done to solve the problem. What a bunch of dicks!

Yep! Kentucky is trying to be the big shot in this deal. Remember what happened the last time they tried to paint the Kennedy bridge? If that bunch South of the river can't even paint a bridge, what makes them think they can build one?

I say we let them lead on this one, then sit back and watch the ensuing hilarity. Oh, and they can pay for it, too.

 

[public servant]

Make it a toll bridge. Then those that use it can pay for it's repair and upkeep.